I went for my typical morning ride yesterday, a 40-mile spin around the ever-curving Paradise Loop. It wasn’t very different from any other Wednesday right, except for one thing: I forced myself to ride in the drops all ride long.

My old, silver bike was very upright. The new bike is a marked improvement – the handlebars are much lower, giving me the ability to settle in to a much more aero position. Unfortunately, I don’t think my back was ready to handle the even-lower drops on the new bike, so I seemed to naturally migrate to the hoods.

Anyway, that’s got to change. I didn’t spend a small fortune on that bike to sit up in the wind like some sort of parasail! After forty miles, though, I noticed something interesting: the hoods actually felt foreign. It had only taken me one short ride, but I had already adjusted to the position and level of control that the drops afford.

That isn’t to say my back wasn’t tight: it was. It still is, actually, which is why I’m looking forward to a day off before the weekend settles in. I’m just astounded by the world of difference that my position on the bike seems to make – and how quickly I seem to have lost touch with riding the hoods. Strange, but not necessarily something I’ll complain about!